As a nation state, Italy has emerged only in 1871. Until then the country was politically divided into a large number of independant cities, provinces and islands. The currently available evidences point out to a dominant Etruscan, Greek and Roman cultural influence on today's Italians.

I am still trying to trace my great grandfathers family and to date have had no luck in Australia through the archives here. Name Giuseppe Amendola born 1858, so I am assuming that he may have been fishing before he reached Australia in 1888. He was listed as a fisherman here,but I am unable to locate any form of record.I got this information fron the voters list here

Ive taken the earliest possible age as 18 which would mean looking around 1876. Have located the largest population of Amendolas around Napoli and then have looked at Calabria.

Are there any lists kept of fisherman during this time?

If you point me in the right direction I am happy to do the research and emailing.

Did you contact the person I referred you to? Her name is Jan Hall, Reference Officer, National Archives of Australia, Adelaide Office. Her telephone number is 1-300 886-881 or 882 and you can e-mail her at ref@naa.gov.au. Her e-mail tome re Giuseppe Amendola is dated 10/16/08 Petertimber@msn.com.

She advised me that she did a preliminary search of their database but did not find any record for Giuseppe Amendola. She addded thsat a more deatiled searcgh will locate information relevant to your inquiry but they need more specific information.

You did not say what your experience was with this information which I provided you in October,2008. Please let me know. =Peter=

yes I did contact tha national archives as you suggested and have given them all the information that I have and am still waiting for them to get back to me .They stated that it can take up to six to eight weeks to compete a search as they have so many people to search for,I was going to contact them again this week and make sure they were still on task.

In the mean time I thought that I may be able to trace him through the fishing industry and have myself looked for Mariners lists in Australia of early settlers.I read an article in one of the genealogy magazines as to how the english kept records of their people in the fishing industry. I tried all the links and lists that I thought he may be on without success.
Do the italian mariners keep historical records of the people that work on the water? The names should be contained on mariners lists in and around Italy-if the records were kept.
Regards VENICE

Someone from New Foundland off the coast of Canada and once geologically a part of Scotland that broke off and drifted over as it were. It was populated by french,portuguese, irish and english fishermen for the COD fish trade (Baccala!) but as time went on many irish fleeing the famine immigrated to the Island and was independent until the 1920's when it went broke and joined Canada. Their famous product aside from Fish is Screech which is a 150+ proof booze. =Peter=

You will be pleased to hear that I managed to find some news of my ggf down in Port Hastings in Victoria,where he used to fish.I traced him through the historical society of Port Hastings as it was one of the main fishing ports down there.He has been included in quite a few books of the historical fisherman in this area.I am hoping that when the books arrive they may give me a clue as to which part of Italy he came from as I am still waiting to hear from the national archives,newsdue28/11.

Tragically he lost his oldest son back to the sea,when he drowned trying to save his mate who had fallen overboard.Regards V

Thank you ever so much for keeping me posted. Am very glad that he was so honored. Please let us know and as soon as you the town of origin we will take off! Perhaps if you can get them to move it they might be so inclined. =Peter=

An Italian novel for kids called "La Freccia Azzurra" (The Blue Arrow) says that all the children in the world wait for Christmas Eve to get presents from Santa Clause, but Italian kids are the luckiest in the world because they get presents again on the 6th of January by the Befana.Who is the Befan...

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